Hong Kong parents in welfare custody case say 2-month-old baby sick in hospital

A Hong Kong couple embroiled in custody battles for their two children have said their baby son has been taken to hospital after falling ill and was at one point recommended for meningitis testing. The couple earlier sparked controversy for failing to register the birth of two-month-old baby Danny in the city and were arrested for alleged child neglect. Danny’s father, Tsang Wai-bong, said on Monday that he and his partner Kwan Pui-sin were only allowed to visit the child – currently in a care home – once a week and accused authorities of neglecting the baby’s need for breast milk. According to the couple, Danny developed a fever and a cough and was sent to the A&E department of Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai at 3pm on Sunday. He was subsequently transferred to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan at about 10pm. The parents were told at about 11pm that doctors had suggested a possible lumbar puncture to test for meningitis. They arrived at the hospital in the small hours of Monday and were told that the procedure would be necessary if Danny’s condition worsened, to check for meningitis or other central nervous system disorders. The Social Welfare Department said care home staff discovered on Sunday that Danny had symptoms of an upper respiratory infection and sent him to hospital for treatment in line with standard procedures. According to the Hospital Authority, a lumbar puncture or spinal tap is a common diagnostic procedure performed on children to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for examination or to measure the pressure inside the skull. It said the baby was in a stable condition as of Monday. Dr Mike Kwan Yat-wah, president of the Asian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases, said lumbar puncture was crucial and normal for detecting or ruling out brain infections, as the disease could lead to devastating consequences. He added that vaccination was essential for protecting infants against infectious diseases, as vaccines built immunity by leveraging the body’s natural defences. Danny’s mother, Kwan Pui-sin, said on Monday that her son had developed symptoms of a cold, including a slight fever, a runny nose and phlegm, and that she planned to stay overnight, breastfeed him and speak to doctors and social workers later in the day. “Once I saw him, I picked him up. His head was hot, and his body was cold. I did what I used to do when living with him and regulated his body temperature with mine. He woke up soon after that, looked at me and smiled,” she said. “After I saw Danny and resumed breastfeeding, his fever went down within just six hours. “I had actually suggested to social workers that perhaps I could express milk, have it delivered to the shelter, and then have staff feed him there. But during our discussions, concerns about hygiene and transport meant the idea was eventually dropped.” According to the couple, Danny’s fever subsided on Monday afternoon, but doctors recommended a 24-hour hospital observation period, and no discharge date had been set. They said the results confirmed an infection of respiratory syncytial virus – a common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants under one year of age. They added that the baby’s appetite noticeably improved on Monday afternoon and he breastfed continuously for 35 minutes. Before being admitted to hospital, Danny had been placed in a shelter so professionals could develop a care plan for him. The department had applied for a protection order after authorities arrested Tsang and Kwan on June 2 on suspicion of child neglect, following their earlier refusal to take a DNA test for the boy’s birth registration. They later agreed to take the DNA test and were issued a birth certificate four days after their arrest. Authorities said they would be subject to home visits and other assessments before regaining custody of the infant. The couple’s actions triggered widespread concern in Hong Kong as news went public that their eldest daughter had died in infancy in Finland in 2019, and another child, four-year-old Lily, had been taken into care by Swedish social services. On June 10, the Swedish court threw out Tsang and Kwan’s attempted appeal against the local social welfare administration’s application to transfer Lily’s legal guardianship to a foster family, saying the parents had to wait for a formal decision by authorities before they could take legal action. The Swedish Social Welfare Committee said in a report dated June 3 that Lily had to be protected from a “rootless and insecure existence” under the couple’s care.

Hong Kong parents in welfare custody case say 2-month-old baby sick in hospital

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Baby Danny was at one point recommended for meningitis testing